If you haven't checked your UJ for a while, now (start of the season) may be a good time.

I was doing some speed runs 7.8m sail & 115L board, clocking 32 knots on the last run I was just heading up wind for another down wind run when the UJ snapped.

I'd hate to think what I would have broken if it had off snapped on the down wind run doing 32+ knots...ouch.

If you haven't checked your now might be a good time for an inspection or a replacement.

What are we looking for? Is it obvious if they are going to go?

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sboardcrazy said...

What are we looking for? Is it obvious if they are going to go?

I change mine every year, cheap insurance

I busted mine last week using a 6.0 in 25-30 knot jump and bump.
The universal unfortunatly broke not on the rubber but on the stainless pin that attaches to extention.
I was still harnessed in and the board went one way and i went the other.

I tied the sail to my harness and swam for an hour and fifteen mineuits back to shore._(Shart infested saftey bay ;-O)
I found my board 20 metres from where i ran aground.
*please dont laugh* i wrapped the downhaul rope around the uni and sailed the 2 km back to the carpark only to puncture a whole in the top of my board.





Picture of me!

Yeah I snapped mine 2km out to sea, 3m swell 25knots & lost my board, just couldn't catch it. Was luckily rescued by some fishermen an hour later, it was getting dark so yeah check my UJ on a regular basis. God knows where my board ended up.

I was heading out felt the base go loose, so I suspect the tendon snapped but the ropes were still holding. Did a very tentative gybe after which the base became even looser. I then wobbled back to shore, about 500M, with the ball of my foot pushing down and against the base.

After I got back (as per the photo) only one of the safety ropes were attcahed. I'd say that the other came off in the gybe. It looked like the knot in one of the safety ropes came undone and slipped out. The rope also cut into the plastic fittings on the base, may be time for a new one!

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Waiting4wind said...

If you haven't checked your now might be a good time for an inspection or a replacement.

I see you have the wallet ready !

Yeah, may be that's why I can't get to 30 knots ! Too dangerous...

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Zed said...

Yeah I snapped mine 2km out to sea, 3m swell 25knots & lost my board, just couldn't catch it. Was luckily rescued by some fishermen an hour later, it was getting dark so yeah check my UJ on a regular basis. God knows where my board ended up.

Glad I sail on an enclosed lake!

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sboardcrazy said...

Zed said...

Yeah I snapped mine 2km out to sea, 3m swell 25knots & lost my board, just couldn't catch it. Was luckily rescued by some fishermen an hour later, it was getting dark so yeah check my UJ on a regular basis. God knows where my board ended up.

Glad I sail on an enclosed lake!

People allways say "stay" with the board but when your in 25 knot winds bobing up and down you can bearly see it net alone catch it.
Just remain calm!

Yeah Des. I had my uni changed this year. The old uni was bulging on one side so it was clear it needed changing.


I once busted a uni a Shoalhaven Heads in the river. it was in the days when it was a great run in a NE. I had a a uni saver so I could sail back. However the base was banging up and down on the deck of my board. The board was a Bombora proto polyester board so was easily fixed. Great board. Loved it.

The uni web saver is great to have even if it makes a big hole in the deck of your board.

I busted mine a few weeks ago. I wanna give huge props to NAUTIX mastfoot protectors. They're made of a hard plastic/rubber material instead of the usual soft foamy stuff. The rig sat on this all the way back to shore, with absolutely zero trauma to the board.

and also that is why I use Chinook.

The two bits of "rope" on that NP one don't look too flash. On the Chinoook and some other brands there is two pieces of downhaul rope so if the tendon breaks it just can't separate.
The webbing strap on boge joints is pretty weak too.

Plus as I have said before on the Chinook europin one, the pin and the top cup is machined from one piece (!)

Buy a Chinook and replace the tendon every year or two and never have a problem. Ever..

Im not sure mark but any thing below 5.7 i seem to be running wave sailing gear this gear has failed before.When i run bigger equiptment and sails they fail aswell
I just come to the conclusion im accident prone and i break ****.
Im not thye type of person who will gear up underpowered,
Im not sure people wantin to challenge rottnest should look at my pictures and asses what can go wrong out in the ocean.



with the sw winds im usin larger sails to get as much speed to hit upwind chop you want to go to rottnest but it only takes one jump and bump to destroy a universal mast and sail.

Tendons last for about 60hrs of sailing. Best to replace after that.

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firiebob said...

sboardcrazy said...

What are we looking for? Is it obvious if they are going to go?

I change mine every year, cheap insurance

hey bob, i remember you once mentioned seatbelt fabric in a loop with two holes drilled thru? in fact i've seen them somewhere...

i didn't break the UJ but broke the metal pins nearby and same effect, put a hole in the deck after the mast protector (old strap around type) held it to the board and it skated around for a bit before i could realise!

SBC said: What are we looking for? Is it obvious if they are going to go?

If you can see a bulge, replace it, otherwise you have to completely dismantle them to find out if the bolt holes have cracks around them. If you've dismantled it, you might as well replace the tendon.

Mark said: .....replace the tendon every year ....... and never have a problem. Ever..

He's right!

Whilst checking stuff check your boom too. Mine broke yesterday right where the carbon arm goes into the front piece. Didnt snap clean but not strong enough to sail it back. Admittedly it felt "squishy" rigging up but was too amped to get on the water. **** happens.

Thanks for the remonder - will go and get a new one this week - too many big fish at this time of the year to be swimming

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skinduptruk said...

firiebob said...

sboardcrazy said...

What are we looking for? Is it obvious if they are going to go?

I change mine every year, cheap insurance

hey bob, i remember you once mentioned seatbelt fabric in a loop with two holes drilled thru? in fact i've seen them somewhere...

i didn't break the UJ but broke the metal pins nearby and same effect, put a hole in the deck after the mast protector (old strap around type) held it to the board and it skated around for a bit before i could realise!

Use the seat belt for the boge joint Kurt, for the tendon I just rely on Chinook's rope.

Every broken pin I've seen has been at the end of the thread and has ended up with a hole in the deck. I use a US cup but as Mark says if want the pin system get a Chinook for the reasons he mentions

I replaced the tendon on my Pryde Uni a little while ago, however I found that the screws that secure the tendon snap of very easy. Also a few other saliors have had these screws break or fall out while sailing, so I would'nt really recommend replacing the tendon, but rather buying a whole new Uni.

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Haggar said...

I replaced the tendon on my Pryde Uni a little while ago, however I found that the screws that secure the tendon snap of very easy. Also a few other saliors have had these screws break or fall out while sailing, so I would'nt really recommend replacing the tendon, but rather buying a whole new Uni.

Or buy a Steamlined or Chinook - the original two - as they use real bolts in them! And pretty standard bolts you can buy at any fixings supplies or marine shop

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Haggar said...

I replaced the tendon on my Pryde Uni a little while ago, however I found that the screws that secure the tendon snap of very easy. Also a few other saliors have had these screws break or fall out while sailing, so I would'nt really recommend replacing the tendon, but rather buying a whole new Uni.

I always Loctight my nuts (yeh ha ha) never ever a problem

So chinook would be the best one to get ill chace a couple up!I think i will replace all of mine.
The Niel pride uj failure for us currently is 2/3
I wont take anymore chances with the last one.

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busterwa said...

So chinook would be the best one to get ill chace a couple up!I think i will replace all of mine.
The Niel pride uj failure for us currently is 2/3
I wont take anymore chances with the last one.

Yep

Chinook europin, as the cup the tendon goes into is one piece with the pin
You can get an adaptor to make it a cup system if you are not using a europin extension but obviously a new extension is better

The UJ in the pic ws used for 3.5 seasons, and one of those seasons I sailed full time for almost a year. So I can't complain about the wear, just my slackness in not replacing it when I planned to over a year ago.

I think it's time for a couple of new base plates.

Never mind the blks,,,,make the manufactures accountable for the dodgey batches of inperfection rubbers they send out,i mean its one of the most critical components, and since day 1 has not progressed much since wood to rubber or plastic or wotever the fk,,,,,should come with a health warning,,,If snaps in half as well as string ,,Prey da fk ya not 2k out......That 2 and a half grand board and the rest ain,,t worth a wank when ya outdated and neglected rubber gives way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

i got a second hand one today cup type ill take to work and refurbish the tendon ..
Your looking at 250 bucks for a new one ill get by on this one untill i can afford a new one (and put up with traffic lights to drive into suburbia).
Now all my sails have cup type attachments least. 4.2 - 8metre.
Got a bargin 100 dollar bunkie board aswell!!
This board is not going to a good home!!!!!
Im going to trash this 100 buck oldschool rrd 6.6 and if i pass just one person on a new board with it its 100 bucks well spent. ;-)
if not ill put it up against the flexy plastic bombora 182

Hey west hammer after boxing training 3 nights a week .The 2 km driftswim back to shore didnt even work up a sweat!
just made me worry about sharks thats about it.
in 25 knots i think i could drift for 24 hours if i stay calm and reserve energy.
problem is if you stress out your going to loose about 1.5 litres of stored water per hour.
You have about 3- 4 mineuits {bursts}of hardcore swimming to get to your board. If you dont catch it reserve your energy your board dosent matter your sail dosent matter. .
If you want to challenge your fitness hold a 5 kilo medacine ball out in front (arms fully streatched)and run around a football oval If you get to 3 min you can probaly swim hard enought to catch your board!!!!

I would second the comment about buying a whole new base. Depending how much you sail I would say buy a new one every season or at least every other season.

From my experience it's not just the UJ or tendon that wears out. The mast cup usually goes as well. Plus I have now seen a number of bolts being rusty.

It's painful given the price of some mast base systems but it still better then putting a big whole into your board.

If any of you manufacturers out there are reading this I have two questions for you:

- Why haven't you designed a system yet where you can easily and safely swap parts in order to reduce waste and promote safety?

- Why do some of you still use low grade steel nuts and bolts. Seeing a totally rusty bolt after 6 months of use in salt water is a joke. Just spend the extra money and boy high grade steel hardware!

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westhammer said...

Never mind the blks,,,,make the manufactures accountable for the dodgey batches of inperfection rubbers they send out,i mean its one of the most critical components, and since day 1 has not progressed much since wood to rubber or plastic or wotever the fk,,,,,should come with a health warning,,,If snaps in half as well as string ,,Prey da fk ya not 2k out......That 2 and a half grand board and the rest ain,,t worth a wank when ya outdated and neglected rubber gives way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It's never the case of imperfect rubber, its a high stress area which gets bent at right angles in every direction for hours on end in all types of weather... The material in the UJ is amazing, but we cant expect them to last forever, it has a life span and a very reasonable one at that.. Even Formula One cars need to replace their rubber components after so many hours...

Now now Barn, don't be reasonable.
Everyone knows it's always teh evil corporations fault.

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barn said...

westhammer said...

Never mind the blks,,,,make the manufactures accountable for the dodgey batches of inperfection rubbers they send out,i mean its one of the most critical components, and since day 1 has not progressed much since wood to rubber or plastic or wotever the fk,,,,,should come with a health warning,,,If snaps in half as well as string ,,Prey da fk ya not 2k out......That 2 and a half grand board and the rest ain,,t worth a wank when ya outdated and neglected rubber gives way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It's never the case of imperfect rubber, its a high stress area which gets bent at right angles in every direction for hours on end in all types of weather... The material in the UJ is amazing, but we cant expect them to last forever, it has a life span and a very reasonable one at that.. Even Formula One cars need to replace their rubber components after so many hours...